{monterey wallpaper collection by thibaut}

Carolina Raffia on the walls

Alston Trellis

Donegal

Bastille

Sulu

Thibaut’s limited edition collection, Monterey, offers a variety of fresh patterns with a bohemian vibe. Strong yet comfortable colors ranging from vibrant coral to peacock-blue round out this unique wallpaper and fabric collection. Versatile patterns flexibly coordinate to create a collection that has a hip new take on traditional style.

Color or colour? Either way you spell it, Thibaut’s newest wallpaper book is filled with fabulous color combinations and patterns. I know, no need to state the obvious. Doesn’t it seem like the patterns are crying out, “look at me, I’m more gorgeous than the pattern next to me.” In addition to wallpaper, the Monterey book carries coordinating and complimentary fabrics.

Okay – if you’re thinking that red sofa doesn’t look good with the wallpaper, I would concur. And that dog? The home of Britt Van Deusen is where the Thibaut team set up the photo shoot for the Monterey book. Being a wallpaper geek, I loved Britt Van Deusen’s blog posts on the weeklong photo shoot. Read all about it on her blog Design Omnivore. Britt is a fine artist who shares her love of art, life, and all that is design on her blog -  it’s an entertaining and informative read.

Thibaut books are available at most Hirshfield’s stores; call first before you make a special trip.

Happy Easter everyone!

{cottage paint}

Hirshfield’s is excited to announce we’re adding a new product called Cottage Paint, to our line of decorative paint finishes. Cottage Paint is a clay-based paint that dries to a matte finish. If you’re looking to update an old piece of furniture, this is the product for you.

From the Cottage Paint website:

Cottage Paint is a clay-based paint that dries to a silky matte finish and remains porous and easy to sand or wet distress when dry. We didn’t invent this paint, it’s been around since the frescos in the Sistine Chapel! We did, however bring it up to modern environmental standards by removing almost all of the VOCs in both the bases and the pigments.

1. Cottage Paint dries in about 15 minutes to one hour. I’m not joking. BUT for a rule of thumb – never do more than THREE applications of anything to a piece per day.
2. It adheres to just about any surface you can think of: Wood. Plastic. Metal. Brick, Melamine…
3. It requires NO sanding, priming or stripping. NO prep work – just a CLEAN surface. 
4. It can be distressed as soon as it is dry using a damp cloth or fine sand paper. 
5. Cottage Paint does not roll or peel like latex when sanded, and appears as if the paint has truly worn off over time.

People get really excited about the “no prep” aspect – but use your judgement. I was working on a chair with a high-gloss factory finish, and I took five minutes to scuff it with sandpaper to assure maximum adhesion. Use TSP to clean the piece making certain it is clean, clean, clean.

Cottage Paint offers a clear wax coat in three different sheens for a protective finish. For a tougher finish a varnish top coat can be applied. Also, included in the Cottage Paint products are colored waxes which give your piece of furniture that aged antique look.

The standard Cottage Paint line has 24 colors. But wait…There’s more! Drew, Minneapolis Institute of Fine Finishes, a/k/a The Plaster Center, developed  30 additional colors for the Cottage Paint line. In addition to the extensive palette of pastels and brights, imagine all the color possibilities you have just by adding white to a color.

Join us at Hirshfield’s Eden Prairie store on Saturday, March 16, 2013.  Ongoing demos are taking place from 10:00 – 2:00. Cottage paint and two DIY decorative plaster wall finishes, Sedona and Moiré, are being featured. Hirshfield’s Maple Grove will be the next store showcasing the products, so stay tune for more information.

The Edina store and The Plaster Center stock the Cottage Paint, with the following stores waiting to be set up:

Baxter, St. Cloud, Shakopee, Wayzata, Edina, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Coon Rapids, Roseville, Apple Valley, and Woodbury.

We appreciate your patience as we set up the remaining stores. If you have questions about the product, please contact The Plaster Center at 612-374-0221 or Hirshfield’s Edina at 952-927-4647.

P.S. I used Créme Brûlée as the top coat on a piano bench and I put a sample of Schumacher’s Chiang Mai Dragon, in the Aquamarine color way, next to it. What a stunning combo. I could totally see an accent wall in the Schumacher paper with a Créme Brulée buffet placed in front of it. You could charge admission, it is that lovely.  A $2 piano bench and $200+ a roll of wallpaper; a perfect example of mixing “high and low.”

{bits & pieces: thibaut’s faux bois wallpaper}

I planted the seed a couple of weeks ago. In passing, I mentioned to my husband, ” Think about horizontal (painted) wood planking on the headboard wall in our bedroom.” Audible groan, and then, “what are YOU talking about?” In our house, my ideas = husband doing a lot of the work.

That was before I saw this wallpaper in the new Neutral Resource book from Thibaut. The Hirshfield’s Design Studio staff first showed me the paper, and then a couple of the stores mentioned it. Everyone’s in agreement. It’s an excellent faux bois paper and all around great book. That extra layer of texture gives a room more character and added interest. What do you think?

A wide array of natural tones comprise Thibaut’s Neutral Resource wallpaper collection. Designs range from traditional classic patterns to novelty contemporary prints. A variety of metallics paired with colors such as soft fawn, stone, and charcoal enrich the neutral color palette. Specialty papers like cork and raffia enliven the collection with dimension and vitality.

The majority of H’s stores have the Thibaut books, but call first before making a special trip.

Enjoy your week! Spring is almost here.

{friday finds: design week 2013}

Join Midwest Home Magazine for an exclusive adventure where you will explore the interior design scene in the Twin Cities during the week of February 10-16, 2013. One whole week of design discovery and de-light. There are events planned each day and evening during the week, so pick and choose what interests you.

Design Week is kicking off at the Weisman Art Museum on Sunday, February 10, 2013. Luncheon with designer and author  Thom Filicia, design seminars with industry experts, and cocktail hour. Information on registration and tickets for the kick-off event can be found at Midwest Home Magazine.

You can see what’s going on each day during Design Week at Midwest Home Magazine’s event schedule.

Hirshfield’s retail locations and Creative Lighting are selling tickets for the Tuesday, February 12, ASID luncheon taking place at International Market Square. The luncheon event featuring a panel of top local designers answering the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Tips and tricks will be shared. A designer at every table will then reveal an inside peek at what’s trending during showroom tours at International Market Square. The cost of the ticket is $25 and the event is from 11:30-2:00.

Esteemed panelists for Tuesday’s luncheon are:

• Bruce Kading, ASID, CID
• Renee Hallberg
• Laura Ramsey Engler, ASID
• Martina Willegalle

Hirshfield’s Design Studio is located right across the street from IMS so please stop in after the luncheon. We’re very proud of  our staff and product offering…our wallcovering library is the best in the world state.

Need inspiration or motivation to jump-start your project? Mark your calendars for February 10 – 16th, 2013 and take advantage of Design Week.

{friday finds: x marks the spot with cross-stitch}

This awesome painted cross-stitch mural caught my eye back in March of 2011 when it was featured on Bloesem. I’d never seen anything like this before; I was so inspired by Eline’s creativity I was going to paint my own cross-stitch mural. Well, that hasn’t happened… yet, but I’m still impressed and inspired by such lovely work. Wonderful cross-stitch pieces are showing up in the design and DIY worlds. Was Eline’s work the catalyst for this emerging trend? Or is cross-stitch gaining popularity because of the renewed interest in all that is vintage?

Cross-stitch carpets

Unknown

I can’t tell if Bambi is painted or stitched;  it doesn’t matter because it is so endearing. And paired with the crocheted throw…perfection.

Spring 2012 at High Point – from Gan

Close up of rug from Bliss 

Eline Pellinkhof via Freshome

 Eline’s painted cross-stitch patterns add a touch of whimsy to any room. Painting lets you customize the colors for any space in your home. Hang an empty frame on the wall and paint a cross-stitch project inside it. You can go big or small with picture frames.

Peg board cross-stitch project from Beci Orpin

Cross-stitch with the versatile washi tape 

Inge Jacobsen

*Explanation Required Pinterest Challenge with how-to steps

What’s old is new again. How fun to see the traditional cross-stitch design transformed into new and exciting pieces for modern day interiors. What’s next? This line from The Rocky Horror Picture Show popped into my head:  I’m shivering from antici—–pation.

Addendum: I found this very cool painted floor cross-stitch. Oh, the possibilities.

{friday finds: emerald: 2013 pantone color of the year}

Anthropologie

Design Seeds

Unknown

Remodelista

Grace Kelly

One of my favorite days ev-var is when Pantone announces their color of the year. This past week Pantone announced their 2013 Color of the Year: Emerald!

“The most abundant hue in nature, the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally-appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

Back in June I did a Friday Finds post on the color green. I posed the question at the beginning of the post:  Do you get the vibe that green is starting to crowd tangerine tango out of the limelight and getting a head start on becoming the darling of 2013? *As Eiseman describes it, a color begins to appear in the consumer’s “peripheral vision.” “Oh, there’s yellow-green there and yellow-green there, hmmm, it’s not such a bad color…” Even before this weeks announcement by Pantone, green has been gaining popularity this past year with the likes of citron, kelly, and mint.

Will the 2013 Color of the Year will be making an appearance in your home? Or is it too soon to tell? We’re hoping some lively, unifying, and luxurious, green paint from Hirshfield’s makes an appearance on your walls for a pop of color.

Hirshfield’s partnership with Second Harvest Heartland has been extended through Tuesday, December 11, 2012. Save 20% on your paint purchase with a food donation.

For all the emerald intel, click on this link to the Pantone site. Enjoy your weekend!

*Slate article: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2012/04/pantone_color_forecasts_are_they_accurate_.3.html

{friday finds: revere pewter hc-172}

J. Hirsch Interior Design

The most-searched-for color on the Hirshfield’s blog is the Benjamin Moore color revere pewter HC-172. Which makes perfect sense, because that is the most-searched-for color on Benjamin Moore’s site. What makes it so popular?

A light gray with warm undertones, revere pewter (HC-172) is a great transitional color that works equally well on walls, ceilings, and trim from room to room. Described as the perfect “whole-house color,” this classic neutral is perfect for an open floor plan.

Dark enough to contrast nicely with whites and off-whites, but not so dramatic as to compete with bold colors, it can ground and balance a room with colorful décor, or create a serene vibe when paired with pale hues and other neutrals.

It feels like the color gray has had an amazingly long run in popularity. My first post on gray was done in the spring of 2009, and back then it had already been popping up on design blogs since 2008. From what I’ve been seeing, grays are still best sellers, but are warming up. “I can’t tell, is that a gray or a taupe?” Good old chameleon colors.

Two years ago my neighbor used revere pewter in her lower level remodel, and with her lighting it leans towards a green undertone. It’s perfect for her space and her lower level looks fantastic. Kathy Basil (Hirshfield’s Design Studio) has found when there is a lot of natural light in a room revere pewter sometimes gets too purple. She said the Hirshfield’s paint color oak tone 0217 is actually a better color than revere pewter. It just works well in many different color scenarios. Read it and weep, Benjamin Moore.

If you think revere pewter is the color for your room, step over to the Hirshfield’s chip rack and pull a sample of Hirshfield’s oak tone 0217. Remember we sell pints and quarts so you can test drive your paint colors before you purchase paint for your entire room. You don’t have time to hide all those gallons of the wrong paint color (in the trunk of your car) and start all over. True story.

For more comments on revere pewter, here’s a link to Benjamin Moore. I always enjoy reading what “real people” have to say about their paint colors. Hirshfield’s partnership with Second Harvest Heartland ends on Monday, December 3, 2012. Save 20% on your paint purchase this weekend.

Happy painting!

{bits & pieces: foxy finds}

Viscusi Elson Interior Design-House of Turquoise

Coral and Tusk-March 29

Source unknown

Bloesem May 4

Julia (Hirshfield’s Design Studio) is my trends prognosticator. Emerging trends, on-trend, or trends where I’m the last one to the party, and the party was two years ago. Julia knows all.

Last year I asked Julia for her predictions on what design trends we would be seeing in 2012. Her prediction which totally caught me off guard was  foxes. I had not seen one fox, much less a skulk of foxes in the design world. I went back through my favorite design/decorating blogs and came up with nothing.

My  first fox sighting was January 17, on House of Turquoise. The elusive fox crossed my path a few times, but I came to the conclusion Julia was off-base on this trend. Then the November 2012 issue of Country Living came out. Ta-da! A whole page devoted to the crafty fox. Julia wasn’t off-base, I think it took the trend a little longer to gain momentum. Move over birds, butterflies, and other small creatures and let the fox have its day in design.

P.S. According to some comments on a post Apartment Therapy did back in February the fox has already had its day. Huh.

P.P.S. Who can forget the fox in Dr. DeSoto?

{bits & pieces: Sarah’s before & after photos}

“Before” photo

You recognize this living room don’t you? It’s a typical living room of a certain era; large picture window with two side windows, front door off to one side, hardwood floor and fireplace optional. (I bet there’s a coat closet behind the opened front door) Check out the “after” photo and see how the new homeowners transformed this living room into a room right out of a home decorating magazine.

{friday finds: it’s a paint party}

Wunderweib

Wunderweib

Apartment Therapy

I’m so in the painting mood! Maybe not so much painting an entire room one (yawn) color, but something along the lines of these very cool painting projects. Listening to the personable Kim Yeager share her tips and techniques from The Art of Junk seminars* Hirshfield’s has been hosting, certainly adds fuel to the creative fire. Also, Benjamin Moore’s brand new chalkboard paint is available in over 3,000 colors! Grab a Benny Moore fan deck and pick out a paint color for your chalkboard. So far I’ve tried orange, pastel green and violet. All look amazing. I’m waiting for that special piece to present itself so I can “do up” my own chalkboard. Hopefully it’s on the curb and free.